On a recent visit we saw some fantastic progress on habitat restoration on Bucklebury Common, to protect rare heathland and wood pasture species.
The Common is one of seven sites in our Partnerships for Nature (P4N) programme – which is funded through DEFRA’s Species Survival Fund (SSF) administered by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The Bucklebury Common project covers 266 hectares of wood pasture, restored heathland and newly created heathland, and is expected to lead to a significant increase in a wide range of species, including heathland birds, reptiles, bats, and butterflies.
The work is being led by an expert team. Estate Manager Alasdair Jones-Perrott has over 25 years’ experience in conservation management, and Consultant Ecologist Alex Cruickshank has over 25 years’ experience working in nature conservation, including numerous heathland restoration projects.
Heathland restoration
Heathland is an important habitat for the survival of some rare species, including woodlarks, adders and the Dartford warbler, but there is very little heathland remaining in the North Wessex Downs. Bucklebury Common is the largest remaining area of lowland heath in the North Wessex Downs – and this project will more than double its size to 66 hectares.
The heath would originally have been grazed by wild herbivores and was then grazed by cattle. But since cattle grazing stopped after the Second World War the heath has become overgrown with invasive birch. An area of birch has been cut back, allowing heather seeds that have lain dormant for over 80 years to germinate. Though these areas may look muddy now, with time they will regenerate, offering essential refuge for a wide range of wildlife.
Nightjars are one of many rare species to benefit from this project
These migratory birds, arrive from sub-Saharan Africa in spring and require open, heathy areas to nest on the ground. The easiest way to find out if the nocturnal and well-camouflaged nightjar is about is to listen out for its distinctive ‘churring’ call at dusk. Learn more about Nightjars here.
Image: Nightjar roosting. Credit Rob Solomon
Protection of 200 veteran trees
The project includes wood pasture restoration which will protect around 200 Veteran trees. Alex Cruickshank from Sundew Ecology explains their importance:
“Old trees are a valuable resource for wildlife and an important part of Bucklebury Common’s history. Many of the older trees on Bucklebury Common are overcrowded by lots of younger, taller trees. This reduces their lifespan and their ability to support an abundance of wildlife.”
With the help of volunteers from the West Berkshire Countryside Society, veteran trees are being ‘haloed’, by removing younger trees around them. Alex explains that this will increase the longevity of the veteran trees, “allowing them to form lots of features which are great for wildlife like cracks and hollows, dead branches and ‘epiphytes’ – other plants growing on the tree.”
Wood pasture is also being restored by pollarding of younger trees – trees are cut above the reach of livestock and deer, and they resprout with lots of fresh growth. This increases their longevity and provides useful resources for people and wildlife.
New homes created for adders
Bucklebury Common is home to a small but very important population of adders, an increasingly rare reptile. The adder is the UK’s only venomous snake, but its venom is generally of little danger to humans. Adders hibernate during the winter in structures called hibernacula. These are often natural, formed of narrow cracks in the roots of old trees, or rodent burrows. To increase the population of adders, artificial hibernacula are being build using logs and soil. These will provide additional spaces for them to hibernate safely through the winter.
Reintroduction of cattle grazing
Cattle grazing will return to the common to help maintain the heathland and wood pasture and prevent invasive birch trees regrowing. Another benefit of cattle grazing comes from cattle dung – which provides a fabulous resource for insects and fungi.
A small herd of Belted Galloway cows will be introduced in the autumn – with the help of invisible fencing. GPS collars are used to alert cows when they reach a boundary, and grazing boundaries can be defined via a simple phone app – making it much easier to manage than using physical fences. Learn more about the use of this technology in the North Wessex Downs here.
Image: Belted Galloway with a NoFence collar. Credit: Charles Sainsbury-Plaice
Get Involved and Find Out More
If you’d like to get involved in this project you can join the Friends of Bucklebury Common volunteer group. There will be something for everyone, including helping to educate people about the common, site monitoring and practical habitat restoration tasks. Contact the Ranger to find out more.
Find out more about the work at Bucklebury Common in this report by Sundew Ecology (Note: not all of the work covered in this report is part of the P4N project.)
Or email Alasdair Jones-Perrott, Estate Manager
Find out more about all of the projects in the Partnerships for Nature Programme here.
The Partnerships for Nature programme is funded by Defra’s Species Survival Fund. The fund was developed by Defra and its Arm’s-Length Bodies. It is being delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Natural England and the Environment Agency.
